Planning & Engineering

Planning Division

The Planning Division is comprised of the Office of Development Review, Office of Regional Planning & Transportation, and the Office of Data Resources & Technology. The Division also includes the County Planning Board and coordination of the Construction Board of Appeals.

The Office of Development Review performs site plan and subdivision reviews of all development applications submitted for County Planning Board approval and in so doing, provides continuous oversight of site plan and subdivision regulations.

The Office of Regional Planning & Transportation manages planning studies for larger corridor and regional projects. This Office also acts as the County’s liaison to other transportation agencies and government jurisdictions to advocate for Bergen County’s interests.

The Office of Data Resources & Technology manages information resources and technology including Geographic Information Systems and U.S. Census Data to support the Department of Planning & Engineering as well as make such information available to the public and other County departments.

The County Planning Board performs statutory duties as required by law. The Planning Board is comprised of nine members including the Chairman/Chairwoman of the Board of Chosen Freeholders, one Freeholder member, the County Engineer or Assistant County Engineer, and six citizen members appointed by the County Executive with the advice and consent of the Freeholders.

The Construction Board of Appeals acts on appeals filed by individuals aggrieved by decisions of local enforcing agencies of the State Uniform Construction Code or the Uniform Fire Code. The Construction Board of Appeals is comprised of five regular members that must include: a plumbing subcode official; an electrical subcode official; a registered architect or professional engineer with building construction experience, or a building subcode official; a fire protection subcode official; and a certified fire official. The Board also includes two special members including one licensed professional engineer with municipal site improvement construction experience and one builder.

Engineering Division

The Engineering Division strives for quality of life improvements through various transportation infrastructure projects that include bridges, culverts, drainage systems, roadways, and signalized intersections under County jurisdiction. The Division administers these infrastructure improvement projects from concept through construction. The Division continues to modernize infrastructure to improve safety and the movement of traffic along County roadways while remaining compliant with new regulations and design requirements.

The County’s bridges and culverts are a high priority and one of the major responsibilities of the Engineering Division. The structures are inspected on a regular basis by the New Jersey Department of Transportation’s engineering consultants. The Division continues to repair, replace, or rehabilitate these structures as needed to ensure they are safe and well maintained to accommodate the needs of the public.

The County’s traffic signals are also a high priority and major responsibility of the Engineering Division. The Division continuously works to modernize traffic signals in order to provide for the most efficient flow of vehicular traffic as well as maximizing pedestrian safety. Traffic signal modernization includes the replacement of outdated signal equipment; installation of vehicle detection cameras to replace loop detectors; countdown pedestrian heads; traffic signal battery backups; traffic signal generator connections; American with Disabilities Act improvements; and intelligent/adaptive traffic signal systems.

The Engineering Division’s many other responsibilities include the County road drainage systems, the Overpeck Creek Tide Gates, roadway improvements, Sign Management System, guiderail, inspection of site plan and subdivision improvements along County roads, participation in the Planning Division’s Development Review Team and regional planning and transportation projects.